Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday morning in his first public testimony since the United States entered a war with Iran earlier this year. He is seeking more than $35 billion for the State Department’s 2027 fiscal year budget, a request that comes as the administration navigates ongoing military operations in the Middle East and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Rubio, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, is scheduled to testify before a House panel on the State Department on Tuesday afternoon. His testimony continues Wednesday with appearances before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the State Department, according to a schedule released by the State Department.
Alongside budget discussions, lawmakers are expected to press Rubio on the Trump administration’s attempts to negotiate a peace settlement with Iran. The president has made a series of public statements on Cuba in recent weeks, and Rubio, a Cuban American and longtime critic of the Cuban government, may face questions on the administration’s approach to Havana.
Lawmakers may also ask about Taiwan and China following Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a trip that underscored the shifting dynamics of U.S.-China relations amid the Iran conflict.
Rubio’s testimony marks the first time the secretary of state has addressed lawmakers publicly since the war with Iran began, a conflict that has triggered debates in Congress over the administration’s strategy and the cost of military operations.